Method, apparatus and materials for preserving wood

ABSTRACT

Methods and devices for protecting fence posts include placing or forming a sleeve around a lower portion of the post at ground level. The sleeve can be formed by applying a liquid plastic material around the post, and then thermally or chemically converting the liquid plastic material to a solid state, whereby the solid sleeve resists abrasion caused by the high-speed line of a string trimmer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the preservation of woodenstructures that are set in the ground, such as fence posts, and thussubjected to degradation over time due to water-induced rot. Theinvention includes the use of plastic coatings that prevent ground rotassociated with that portion of the post that is set in the ground, andnear ground rot or above-ground rot induced by the premature removal ofpressure treatment fluids from the wood when the wood is physicallydamaged by, for example, string trimming machines.

2. Description of the Related Art

A variety of different types of wood can be used for fence posts.Cypress, cedar and redwood are naturally resistant to insects, weatherand ground rot, but are relatively expensive compared to pine. However,all four types of wood are relatively soft, and require pressuretreatment with wood preservative products to extend the useful life ofthe post.

Wood preservative products used in pressure treating fence posts andother wooden structures intended for sustained outdoor use are thosethat control wood degradation due to fungal rot or decay, sap stain,molds, or wood-destroying insects. A typical preservative chemical isACQ, or alkaline copper quaternary, which is a water-based woodpreservative that prevents decay from fungi and insects (i.e., it is afungicide and insecticide). It also has relatively low risks, based onits components of copper oxide and quaternary compounds. Water-basedpreservatives like ACQ leave a dry, paintable surface. ACQ is registeredby the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use on lumber, timbers,landscape ties, fence posts, building and utility poles, land,freshwater and marine pilings, sea walls, decking, wood shingles, andother wood structures.

ACQ, and similar chemicals, can be applied by pressure treatment ordipping. Pressure treatment of lumber or posts requires immersing thewooden object in a liquid preservative and placed in a pressure chamber.High pressures within the chamber forces the chemical into the woodfibers, with the goal of forcing the chemical into the core of eachpiece of wood. This process is much more effective than simply soakingthe wood in the chemical. However, at least with respect to commerciallyavailable pine fence posts, the chemical typically does not penetratethe wood more than a couple millimeters, which means that the post willhave no, or reduced, chemical protection if the outer surface of thepost is scarred or gouged more than a couple millimeters in depth.

One source of gouging for fence posts is the common string trimmer,known as “weed eaters.” String trimmers typically have a rotary headthat is spun fast enough that two monofilament nylon strings are forcedoutward by centrifugal force to thereby become stiff enough to “eat”through grass, weeds, and slight, woody plants. A string trimmer workson the principle that a line spun fast enough is held out from itscenter (the rotating reel) very stiffly by centrifugal force, such thatas the hub rotates faster, the line become more difficult to bend andthus acts as a cutting tool. Although the line is circular in crosssection, the ends have a circular edge that acts like the edge of aknife to cut through plant material, such as grass and weeds, and softertree barks.

In the course of repetitive use of string trimmers around fence posts,an outer surface of the post can be, and often is, eroded or gouged bythe high-speed line by a depth sufficient to remove pressure treatmentpreservatives, paints or stains which usually protect the post fromrot-inducing moisture. Thus, a need exists for an inexpensive, costeffective way of protecting fence posts and other wooden structures fromscaring, gouging or erosion caused by string trimmers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a method of treating a fencepost having a below-ground portion and an above-ground portion includesthe steps of applying a plastic coating circumferentially around thepost at an area of the post which, during trimming, is in contact with ahigh-speed rotating line, the plastic coating, when solidified, forminga hard, plastic protective sleeve bonded permanently to the post.

The step of applying a plastic coating further may include spraying,dipping or painting a liquid thermosetting material.

Preferably, the thermosetting material is selected from the groupconsisting of phenolic resin, urea-melamine, polyester and epoxy resin.

The plastic protective sleeve preferably has a thickness of between oneand three millimeters, and has a hardness, fracture toughness andtensile strength to a degree sufficient to resist abrasion from thehigh-speed rotating line, but not significantly greater. The degree towhich the sleeve is abrasion resistant can be selected depending on thecost of materials, such that if higher resistant materials are morecostly, lower resistant materials can be used. The protective sleeveextends for a length sufficient to protect the post during weed andgrass trimming. In preferred uses, the length can range from about a fewinches to about one foot.

If it is desired to extend the life of post from undergrounddeterioration from moisture, the sleeve can extend downward for the fullextent of the post's in-ground portion, and cover the post's bottom,thereby forming a watertight sleeve having an above-ground portion thatprotects the post from abrading, erosion or cutting by string trimmers.

In one aspect of the invention, protective sleeve is provided for insitu retrofitting around a pre-set post, by applying a protectivematerial around the post beginning at about ground level and extendingupwardly for a length sufficient to avoid abrasion by a high-speedrotating line of a string trimmer. In another aspect of the invention,the protective sleeve is formed on the post before the post is set.

The protective sleeve is preferably made of a thermoplastic materialselected from the group consisting of high density polyethylene (HDPE),low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET),polyvinylchloride (PVC), polypropylene, polyester, acrylic, e.g.,Lucite, cellulosic, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS),polycarbonate, acetyls, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and mixtures andvariants thereof.

Preferably, the sleeve has a hardness or other material propertiessufficient to resist abrasion from a string trimmer. When the sleeve ismade of plastic material, it may be applied to the post, before it isset in the ground, by dipping, spraying, coating or otherwise applyingin liquid form to cover the bottom and that portion of the post whichwill be set in the ground, to thereby resist degradation due tomoisture.

The sleeve is preferably made of a thermosetting material selected fromthe group consisting off phenolic resin, urea-melamine, polyester andepoxy resin, and mixtures and variants thereof.

The sleeve, when made of a plastic material, can be applied as aretrofit in situ, with a plastic material, which is either thethermosetting or thermoplastic. An example of a thermoplastic materialincludes a sheet of plastic material that is wrapped around a post andthen heated until the plastic melts to come into intimate, permanentcontact with the wooden post. As the heated material cools, it becomes asolid protective hand or sleeve around the post. For thermosettingmaterials, a liquid plastic material can be applied around the post in aplastic state, and then heated sufficiently to form a solid, protectivesleeve.

Other materials, other than plastics, can be used to form the protectivesleeve. For example, certain fabrics, including woven cotton, can bewrapped around the post and permanently affixed thereto by any suitablemeans, including staples, nails, or adhesives, plastics, etc. Similarly,metal bands can be used to form the sleeve, such as adhesively hackedmetal tape which is wrapped around the post at the around where the postwill be at ground level and slightly above.

Ceramic materials can be used to form the sleeve, or can be used as anadditive in a liquid plastic material to enhance the abrasion resistanceof the material. Materials, such as clay, are inexpensive compared tothe costs of resins, adhesives, and plastics, so the addition of aceramic additive will both enhance abrasion resistance and decreasecost.

In another aspect of the invention, preformed sleeve segments can bemade to fit around the post at about ground level. For a post with acircular cross-section, the sleeve would include two C-shaped sectionsthat are placed on opposite sides of the post at about ground level, andthen connected either to each other or separately to the post to form acylindrical sleeve. For a half post (of the type where a post ofcircular cross section is split longitudinally to form two posts eachhave a D-shape in cross-section), the sleeve would include a pre-formedC-shaped portion, and a flat portion, which combine to form a D-shapedsleeve. Posts having a square cross-sectional shape, commonly used inurban and suburban fencing, could include a “square U” shaped portionand a flat portion, when combined forming a sleeve having a squarecross-sectional shape. In any post cross-section, the two portions canbe connected to each other or to the post by any conventional means. Foraesthetic reasons, the two portions should be sized to make a clean fit,although excess material can be trimmed after installation.

The invention also contemplates elastic materials that can be wrappedaround the post, similar to an “Ace” bandage used on athletes and horsesto prevent injury. Once wrapped around the post, a liquid plastic,adhesive or other material that either air-dries or thermos-sets into ahard coating, can be used to enhance the protective abilities of thewrap.

As an environmental aspect of the invention, waste plastic can becollected, shredded and placed into a heating chamber, whereupon thematerial is heating to form a plastic slurry. The lower end of a post isthen dipped in the slurry and removed, and then the slurry-covered lowerportion of the post is cooled or otherwise thermoset until the slurryforms a solid plastic shield or boot covering the lower end of the post.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent in view of thefollowing detailed description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a conventional fence having aplurality of vertical posts and horizontal boards, and showing theground in cutaway view to illustrate the below-ground portion of eachpost;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of a lower portion of one ofthe posts shown in FIG. 1, with a horizontal broken line showing theground level, and two parallel horizontal lines showing a zone ofexposure on the post to damage from high speed line from a stringtrimmer;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the end portion of thepost of FIG. 2, with a protective band circumscribing the post andcovering the zone of exposure;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the end portion of the post ofFIG. 3, taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of an alternative embodimentof the present invention, showing a boot extending from approximatelythe ground level of the post to, and covering, the bottom of the post;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along line V-V of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sequential schematic view of a method of forming a plasticsleeve, which starts with a section of PVC pipe, cutting the pipelongitudinally into two arcuate sections, placing the sections around apost, and securing the sections in place on the post;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of another method of applying a thermoplasticmaterial to a post, according to another embodiment of the presentinvention, including a heating chamber for containing scraps of plasticmaterial;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the heating chamber of FIG. 8 with meltedplastic material and a post being dipped in the melted plastic;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a post protector showing two C shapedparts that are placed around a circular section post and moved togetherto form a cylindrical sleeve;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a post protector showing a square “U”shaped part and a flat part that are placed around a square section postand moved together to form a square sleeve;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of a post protector showing a “C” shapedpart and a flat part that are placed around a D-shaped post and movedtogether to form a D-shaped sleeve; and

FIG. 13 is an enlarged schematic view showing a connecting means forholding two pans of a sleeve together.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a fence 10 has a plurality of vertical posts12, 14 and 16, and a plurality of horizontal boards 18, 20 and 22. Theposts 12, 14 and 16 are wooden, and typically made of pressure treatedpine. The posts illustrated herein are circular in cross section, but itis understood that the posts could have virtually any cross-sectionalshape, including rectangular, square, compound curved, and the like.Other types of wood can be used, but since fences, particularly in farmuse, can be miles long, it is important to limit the cost per post.Thus, pine is preferred due to its relatively low cost, but otherconifer woods are also used, such as spruce and fir, those beingparticularly useful for smaller fencers, such as in cities and suburbs,due to somewhat higher cost per post. Cypress and cedar are alsodesirable for urban and suburban uses, but again, they tend to be evenhigher cost per post. Some commercially available posts are not pressuretreated but can be stained or painted to add protection from rot andweather damage. In those events, the stains do not extend more than amillimeter or two into the surface, and paints reside on the surface.

The boards 18, 20 and 22 are typically made of oak, typically one inchthick by six inches wide, and most typically have three boards, but fourboard fences are also commonly employed. The boards are typically nailedto the posts.

The posts 12, 14 and 16 are secured in the ground by first digging aposthole. The lower end portions 12 a, 14 a and 16 a of the posts 12, 14and 16 are placed in the post holes and then held tightly in place bypacked dirt, or in the case of urban and suburban uses with smallernumbers of posts, concrete (typically ready-mix concrete) can be pouredinto the hole dried to create a firm hold in the vertical uprightposition. The ground 24 is shown as a horizontal line extending betweenthe posts 12, 14 and 16, and is shown cutaway to reveal the lowerportions of the post being permanently set in the ground.

Other means of setting posts in the ground are available, particularlyfor large volumes of fencing, such as in agricultural settings wherefence posts can be set for miles. Farm fencing can carry wire instead ofboards, such as strands of barbed wire, or American wire, “chicken”wire, and other forms that are supported on posts. The lower end of thepost can be shaped to a point and driven in the ground with post driver,as are known and available as tractor-driven implements. Some postdrivers need no tapering or sharpening of the end of the post to bedrive to a sufficient depth to be stable and strong.

The ground 24 absorbs rainwater and maintains a permanent moisturecontent that eventually will lead to rot of a wooden post. Once thelower portion of the post rots, the entire post must be replaced, atcost and inconvenience. Pressure treatment of wooden posts is designedto extend the life of a post.

In the normal course of maintenance, grass 26 and other plant growthgrows under the fence boards and around the posts. It is common practiceto use a string trimmer 28, sometimes called a “weed eater,” is used totrim the plant growth under the fence and around the posts. When thehigh-speed line of the string trimmer hits a post, over time, thesurface of the post is eroded by the line. The amount of erosion, overthe course of months and years of trimming, will be sufficient to cutinto the post to penetrate the depth of pressure treatment fluid, thusexposing untreated wood to moisture. When this happens, the post willlose its protection from rot at around the ground level of the post,which is also a place where moisture from the ground or from rain, canwick into the post and cause rot over times.

The location of erosion of a post is illustrated in FIG. 2. The ground24 is represented as a broken horizontal line. An area subject toerosion, abrasion or deterioration of the post surface by high-speedline from a string trimmer is shown as zone 29, which extendscircumferentially around the post, slightly above and slightly below theground level. One aspect of the present invention is to provide aprotective material over the zone 29, where the protective material hassufficient hardness, and toughness, to resist erosion by the high-speedline of a string trimmer. If the post has not been set in the ground,protective material can be applied over the zone 29 so that when thepost is set in the ground, some of the zone is underground and someabove ground. If the post has already been set, the zone will have to beall above ground, so it will shift upward. As an in situ retrofit, thezone 29 can be covered with a sleeve of the type described herein.

As shown in FIG. 3, a band 30 is disposed over the zone 28 and ispermanent y affixed thereto. The band 30 is affixed to the lower portion14 a of the post after the post is pressure treated, stained or painted.The band 30 is preferably made of a plastic material that has a hardnessand/or fracture toughness, or other physical properties that render theband 30 resistant to abrasion or cutting by a rotating line of a stringtrimmer. As seen in FIG. 4, the band 30 completely circumscribes thecircular post at the lower portion thereof. The thickness of the band 30can range from a millimeter to several millimeters, and its length(along the post) can range from a few inches to a length that completedcovers the lower portion of the post and the bottom of the post, asshown in FIGS. 5 and 6. There, a boot 32 covers the full length of thein ground portion of the post and the bottom, thus providing not onlyprotection from abrasion by string trimmers, but also direct rot fromexposure to moisture in the ground.

In a preferred embodiments, the band 30 and the boot 32 are made of athermoplastic material, such as a thermoplastic polyester selected fromthe group consisting of high density polyethylene (HDPE), low densitypolyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinylchloride(PVC), polypropylene, polyester, acrylic, e.g., Lucite, cellulosic,acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, acetyls,polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and mixtures and variants thereof.Thermoplastic materials can be applied in liquid form at elevatedtemperatures, and when cooled they form hard, solid surfaces. In thecase of the band 30, the hardness of the thermoplastic material willresist abrasion from string trimming around the posts of a fence. Manyof these plastics are in widespread use for beverage containers, plasticwrappings, plastic packaging and the like, and are thus consideredrelatively inexpensive.

The band 30 can be retrofitted in situ by applying the plastic materialaround the post and then having the plastic material cool to becomesolid, or heated to be solid, depending on whether the plastic isthermosetting or thermoplastic. In that case, the band will start atground level and extend upwardly by a length sufficient to shield thepost from abrasion by high-speed rotating string trimmers. If the postis not yet set in the ground, the band can be applied using a variety ofmeans, and the boot 32 can be formed by dipping the post in liquidplastic material. The post could also be coated with plastic material byother means, such as with a brush or roller. Two part epoxy resins canalso be mixed and applied, and air dried

Virtually any thermoplastic material can be used, with the preferredchoices depending on cost, availability and environmental factors.Nylon, or polyamides, can be used either in the monomer or polymer form.High density polyethylene (HDP) is particularly advantageous because ithas a relatively low melting point and is available both in commercialquantities from plastics suppliers, and also as scrap or waste, as manybottles and packaging are made of the material and can be collected,shredded, melted and recycled as post protecting sleeves. Generally,preferred plastic materials will have a relatively low melting point sothat the material can be applied in heated, liquid form to the post, bybrushing, rolling, spraying, dipping or any other suitable means, andthen as the liquid plastic cools, it will harden on and bond to thepost.

Alternatively, a thermosetting material can be used, whereby the plasticmaterial is applied to the post in liquid form and then heated to atemperature sufficient to harden and permanently bond to the post.Virtually any thermosetting plastic can be used, although particularlypreferred materials are selected from the group consisting of phenolicresin, urea-melamine, polyester and epoxy resin.

Once heated, or cooled, the plastic material hardens and adheres to thepost and provides a permanent harrier to high speed rotating lines fromstring trimmers. For cost and efficiency, and ease of handling, it ispreferred to use thermosetting plastics that have low melting points,and thermosetting plastics that have a relatively high transitiontemperature (from liquid to solid state).

Other materials besides plastics can be used as barriers to abrasion.For example, cotton fabrics, similar to those used to make clothing, canbe cut into bands and adhered in place using adhesives or other means.Cotton fabric, or cotton polyester blends, tends to resist abrasion fromstring trimmers, but suffers from being less permanent and lessprotective, although fabric will nonetheless be effective. Sleeves canalso be made of aluminum, rubber, synthetic rubber and other elastomersif pre-formed to be attached to the post at the ground level.

Although preferred embodiments have been described whereby plastic bandsare formed in situ as a retrofit after a post is set in the ground, andwhere the plastic bands or boots are formed on the post before settingin the ground, other embodiments include preforming plastic or metalhands or sleeves and installing them on the posts after the posts areset in the ground. FIG. 7 shows in sequence a method of making a bandfor protecting a circular cross-sectional post at or around the groundlevel of the post. First, a short length of PVC pipe 34, of an innerdiameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the post Thepipe 34 is cut longitudinally into two halves, forming two arcuatesections 36 and 38. Each section is placed around the post at the zoneof abrasion, at the ground level and extending upwardly from there, andthen secured in place by any appropriate means, such as nails 40 orscrews, pins, staples, etc. PVC piping is preferred because it is inabundant supply and relatively inexpensive. For “half post”cross-sections of a generally D-shape, one arcuate section can be couplewith a flat piece of PVC to form the “D” shape and thereby encase thepost at the ground level and slightly above.

In another aspect of the invention, waste plastic 42, such as fromplastic beverage containers, can be shredded and placed in a heatingchamber 44 whereupon a heating element 46 is activated to convert thesolid waste plastic into a liquid slurry. As seen in FIG. 9, a post 48is dipped into the heating chamber 44 to cover the lower end of the postin the liquid thermoplastic shiny 50, and subsequently cooled until theliquid hardens and becomes permanently affixed to the post.Alternatively, the liquid can be fed to a spray device, or simplybrushed or rolled onto the post.

Sleeves according to the present invention can easily be made usinginjection molding or 3-D printing to make two complementary parts of asleeve that can be assembled on the post in situ. Referring to FIG. 10,two C-shaped parts 52 and 54 can be injection molded or 3-D printed tobe of a desired length and width to fit around a circular section post,beginning at the ground level. The two parts 52 and 54 are movedtogether as shown by the directional arrows and then joined eithertogether or to the post or both. Joining means can be any conventionalmanner. The thickness of the parts does not have to be great, and can beon the order of a millimeter or two, or less than a millimeter. Theseparts are particularly suited for 3-D printing which is known to use avariety of plastic materials any number of which could be used to formthe parts.

FIG. 11 shows a variation of the FIG. 10 embodiment where the post is ofa square cross-sectional shape. In this case, a first part 56 has asquare “U” shape, and a second part 58 has a flat, linear shape. Whenthe two parts are positioned around the post at the ground level andmoved together according to the directional arrows, a sleeve is formedaround the post that protects the post from high-speed rotating stringfrom a string trimmer.

FIG. 12 represents yet another variation for a split post having aD-shaped cross section. In this case, the sleeve is made from a C-shapedpart 60 and a flat, linear part 62 that are placed around the post atthe around level and moved together according to the directional arrows.

As seen in FIG. 13, end portions 64 and 66 of complementary parts can beprovided with complementary fastener means, such as a snap-fitting headon end portion 64 which fits into a whole provided in end portion 66.When the two parts are brought together, the complementary fastenerportions lock the two parts around the post to form the sleeve.

Commercially available two-part epoxy resins, of the type used forcoating wood tabletops, can be used as coatings on the post at the areaexposed to string trimming. Typically, the two part resins come with aresin and a hardener that are mixed just before use in a mixingcontainer in a 1 to 1 ratio. The epoxy cures after application to ahard, clear finish.

Whether a resin or thermoplastic or thermosetting material, when inliquid form, the material can be augmented with a ceramic powder, suchas clay or silica, to enhance the abrasive resistance, and UVresistance. Adding a ceramic powder, or any other inorganicconstituents, can also reduce the cost of application, as thesematerials are less expensive than resins and other plastics.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that thereare other embodiments that are equivalent to the described embodiments.Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to belimited by the specific illustrated embodiments, but only by the scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of treating a post having a below-groundportion and an above-ground portion, comprising: applying a plasticcoating circumferentially around the post at an area of the post thatduring trimming is in contact with a high-speed rotating line; theplastic coating, when solidified, forming a hard, plastic protectivesleeve bonded permanently to the post.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinthe step of applying a plastic coating comprises one of a groupconsisting of spraying, dipping and painting a liquid thermoplasticmaterial.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the thermoplastic materialis a thermoplastic polyester selected from the group consisting of highdensity polyethylene (HDPE) low density polyethylene (LDPE),polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinylchloride (PVC),polypropylene, polyester, acrylic, e.g., Lucite, cellulosic,acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, acetyls,polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and mixtures and variants thereof. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic material is athermoplastic nylon.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step ofapplying a plastic coating comprises one of a group consisting ofspraying, dipping and painting a liquid thermosetting material.
 6. Themethod of claim 5, wherein the liquid thermosetting material is selectedfrom the group consisting of phenolic resin, urea-melamine, polyesterand epoxy resin.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasticprotective sleeve has a thickness of between one and three millimeters,and has a combination of hardness, fracture toughness and tensilestrength sufficient to resist abrasion from the high-speed rotatingline.
 8. A post comprising: an elongated wooden member having a first,above ground portion, and a second, below ground portion which iscapable of being secured in a post hole to hold the elongated membervertically upwardly, the first and second portions being separated at aground level; and a hard, plastic protective sleeve bonded to theelongated member, and circumscribing the post at an area at andextending upwardly above the ground level for a length of the firstportion.
 9. The post of claim 8, wherein the hard, plastic protectivesleeve extends the full length of the second and covers a bottom of thesecond portion.
 10. The post of claim 8, wherein the hard, plasticprotective sleeve is made of a thermoplastic material selected from thegroup consisting of high density polyethylene (HDPE), low densitypolyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinylchloride(PVC), polypropylene, polyester, acrylic, e.g., Lucite, cellulosic,acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, acetyls,polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and mixtures and variants thereof. 11.The post of claim 8, wherein the hard, plastic protective sleeve is madeof a thermosetting material selected from the group consisting offphenolic resin, urea-melamine, polyester and epoxy resin, and mixturesand variants thereof.
 12. An apparatus for protecting a post having anupper end, a lower end adapted to mount in the ground up to a groundlevel, comprising: a sleeve capable of being mounted circumferentialaround the post at or near the ground level; the sleeve being made of amaterial capable of resisting abrasion caused by a high-speed line of astring trimmer.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the sleeve ismade of a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplasticresin, thermosetting resin, chemically setting resin, metal and ceramicmaterials.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the sleeve comprisestwo complementary, pre-formed parts, and listening means for affixingthe two parts onto the post.
 15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein thetwo complementary parts together form one of a circular, square andD-shaped cross section when assembled together.
 16. The apparatus ofclaim 15, wherein the two complementary parts are formed by one ofinjection molding and 3-D printing.
 17. A method of forming a protectivesleeve for a post, comprising the steps of: collecting plastic material;heating the plastic material until it becomes liquefied; applying theliquefied material around the post at around a ground level of the post;curing the liquefied material until hardened.
 18. The method of claim17, wherein the collecting step includes collecting solid waste plasticmaterial and placing the collected waste plastic material in a heatingchamber.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of applyingincludes one of spraying, dipping, brushing and rolling the liquefiedplastic material on the post.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein thecuring includes cooling the liquefied plastic material.